This family includes more than 1500 species. The wings are usually white, yellow, or orange and are sometimes marked with black spots, some of them colorful. The English name "Butterfly" probably comes from one of the species of Pieridae whose color was the color of butter (butter means butter). In most species there is sexual dimorphism: in the colorful species, the male is more colorful than the female (such as the Orange-tip and the Cleopatra) and in the spotted-striped species, the female has more black spots and the overall background is darker (such as the Bath White and the Marbled White). In many species the main host plants belong to the Cruciferae family containing mustard (which is poisonous and thus protects them). The adults have three pairs of well-developed legs.
The egg is conical and ribbed and sometimes laid in groups. The larva is usually slender and cylindrical and covered with short, soft hairs. The larvae of most species are smooth green and are sometimes accompanied by longitudinal stripes on the sides of the body. The pupa is of the girdled type, and is usually suspended and camouflaged on a leaf or branch of the host plant. Many species have a pointed projection at the front end of the pupa that makes them resemble thorns.
In Israel, about 25 species.

Veined White, Pieris napi	White of the radish, Pieris rapae	Large White, Pieris brassicea
Black-veined White Aporia crataegi	Salvadora White, Colotis phisadia	Southern Caper White Colotis fausta
Glaucous Leopard, Pontia glauconome	Bath White, Pontia daplidice	Desert Orange-tip, Euchloe belemia
Eastern Orange-tip, Euchloe ausonia	Egyptian Orange-tip, Euchloe crameri	Marbled White, Belenois aurota
Yellow Orange-tip, Anthocharis damone	Manteufel's Green-veined White, Euchloe penia	Pale Orange-tip, Euchloe charlonia
Fallou's Orange-tip, Euchloe falloui	Lebanon Clouded Yellow, Colias aurorina	Clouded Yellow, Colias crocea
Gruner's Orange-tip  Anthocharis gruneri	Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines	Desert White  Zegris uarda
Caper White Catopsilia florella	Cleopatra, Gonepteryx cleopatra	Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni